


A Conference at 6 PM

by gomushroom



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-15
Updated: 2012-09-15
Packaged: 2018-10-12 03:30:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10481085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gomushroom/pseuds/gomushroom
Summary: Ohno serves lemon buttercream on their introduction meeting.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Old AU ideas revisited, compacted and relinquished; Arashi, happy 13th <3!
> 
> (This was a good distraction, ugh, yes why not) and it might seem rushed and incomplete. Well, it was rushed indeed but not incomplete. I don’t think I will have the energy to take another approach of these complex AU ideas I had last year so this will stay here as it is and, again, for now, it’s not that easy to say when needed but, I’m unhanding this AU. :)

And if being aspiring poet required him to work part time at a fancy pastry then so be it, Ohno kept telling himself. Even if Matsumoto-san was a demanding boss and Aiba-san was a great distraction, the job paid well and he had time at night to write.

Right now he was to going to serve another tray of pastries and a refill of black coffee to the corner table. And when he walked to the table carrying a tray of pastries, he did a round refill of coffee, trying not to question the silent over the table.

 

“By the way, what’s your favorite pastry?” Jun half-whispered, addressing to Sho directly for the first time since the meeting began. Sho has been staring at him since the first glance of the tray, and he wasn’t being impolite, definitely not when Jun found it a bit charming.

“Pastries?” Sho half-whispered back, blinking twice before obviously trying to be politically correct. “I don’t know much about them, not yet, as I was dragged into this without warning. Of course, I’m planning to be cognizant of them now that we’re having these plans. Oh. Is it extremely rude to say that I consider them the same as cakes? Especially to you? It is, right? I’m being extremely rude right now?”

Jun snorted at the response, thinking that he should’ve let the ignorance off the hook for now. It was barely last month when Aiba had come with the offer, he pondered at the fact and could not yet decide whether he should be grateful that Aiba is an efficient manager or that this was moving a bit too fast for him.

And if the man, the cute man, sitting on the other side of the table was also dragged into this unknowingly, a degree more clueless than him, he felt bad to complain.

Still Aiba didn’t need to know that he has such opinion. Both the cute opinion or the feeling bad to complain opinion.

 

"Then why don't you just do an all-around-Japan book tour instead if you hate going out of the country so much?"

"Point," Jun actually pointed at Nino to emphasize his _point_ , someone he just knew for 30 minutes before this conversation started. Somehow he got a feeling their acquaintanceship would last for a long time; it was probably the charm and the honest smirk that got him the most. Somehow he also got a feeling that they were going to be good friends if not good enemies—whichever came first.

"He already had all-around Japan book tour. Three times," Aiba informed them, patting Jun’s shoulder lightly.

"Oh," was only Nino’s response.

"Yes. _Oh_. He's not a rising star of some sort, he already is a shining star," Aiba felt the need to add the emphasis too, practically beaming with pride.

"Masaki," Jun warned him.

"But you are, and this is your chance. You should take it. I know that you don't like going abroad that much, but think what this could do for your career. Okay, let me rephrase that. Think of all the things you can come up with after. Think of the inspiration, the travel, the meeting with new people, everything that’ll you come across. C'mon, Matsujun, this is something that you shouldn't pass on so easy." It wasn't entirely helping that Aiba was staring at him with his best persuasive professional puppy-eyes.

 

And while more banter proceed on the other side of the table, Sho couldn’t help to question the extent of this meeting, missing his sturdy old oak table with cluttered with disarray of papers of his notes, various pens and pencils randomly laying under said papers, random stationaries, including small masking tape, small scissor, colorful cups filled more pens and pencils already.

After all, he left his _Bookworm_ on pause and he desperately needed to level up.

 

The Ninomi guy, at least that was what Aiba-san said earlier when he brought the man down to the counter and introduced him, looked a little bit mischievous, partially because he winked at him several seconds back. Ohno smiled back at the Ninomi guy, but was not actually surprised for some unclear reason.

 

Sho sometimes wondered about this side of Nino but he looked damn assured and in control of the situation; although he felt a need to kick Nino on the shin for not showing him the so-called itinerary. He'd be able to participate in this discussion if he did.

But as the fantastic Lemon Buttercream was keeping his brain busy with satisfied moans, he happily tuned himself out from the conversation and couldn’t help to be thankful for missing actual lunch.

 

"If I may add more to our previous offer," Nino broke the slight silence bringing the discussion back on its purported track. "As I, no, we proposed before,” he continued, motioning both Sho and him, “We'll be gladly to provide the service of language assistant shall you needed one. I've reviewed the itinerary already, and I can assure you that our ace here is highly capable in helping you in every country you will visit thus you won't have to utter a single foreign word, and let him do all the talking for you."

 

Ten minutes later, Jun pinched his nose bridge, wondering why such a simple meeting has to be endless, now that Nino and Aiba excused themselves to review some documents on Aiba’s back office leaving him in formalities with this Sakurai Sho.

“So, Sakurai-san,” Jun started.

"Ah, you can call me Sho. We're going to work together, Matsumoto-san, in English on top of that, so there's no need for Japanese formalities," he pointed out nicely.

"Says the man who just called me Matsumoto-san," Jun retorted.

"Well, I did say it wasn't a problem with you calling me Sho, but you haven't said that…" His word lost when he looked up and caught up with Jun's intense stare. Sho faked a cough and looked down, suddenly finding his almost empty coffee cup interesting.

Jun couldn't help to sigh, "fine. I'm calling you Sho, and then you should call me Jun."

Sho raised his head, revealing that smile again and Jun was not amused. At all.

 

“Why do I feel like this is decided matter?” Jun threw a suspicious glance at Aiba, then at Nino, both who appeared a little bit too straight face for their own good now that they were back to the table with their so-called important documents. He wasn't entirely okay with them leaving him only with Sakurai-san, ah, Sho.

“Matsujun, we talked about this, and we decided this already, remember?” Aiba said. “Remember when I talked to you about the details last week?”

As Jun tried to flip his mental files to bring the discussion back to mind, and frowned, the only memory surfacing was the one involving Aiba coming to the kitchen in the middle of his session with two of his assistant experimenting on kiwi sorbet.

 

On the other hand, Ohno summarized, the other one, the one that Matsumoto-san referred as Sho Sakurai when he asked Ohno to bring the complete set, was busy stuffing his mouth with more and more Lemon Buttercream from the tray of pastries he set down on the table not a minute ago.

 

“So, Ninomi.”

“Aibacchi.”

Both men smirked at each other, extended their hands, and shared an excited handshake. Jun rolled his eyes witnessing the exchange, glancing a bit to Sho to find support but find the man smiling over the scene instead.

“Nino always decided things for me,” Sho supplied, catching Jun’s glance and causing Nino to roll his eyes openly and _Sho-san_ him lightly. He then aimed an innocent attempt of polite smile at Jun. “Sometimes I worry that one wouldn’t be able to tell apart who’s the boss and who’s the manager at this rate.”

“I don’t even bother to worry anymore,” Jun said. “Masaki is definitely the boss around here.”

“Matsujun, what a thing to say in front of our new partners!” Aiba elbowed him lightly. “And to conclude, all this meeting, let’s go straight to celebratory dinner.”

“Unfortunately—“ Sho tried to say.

“Masaki,” Jun cut Sho unapologetically, scolding Aiba. “I don’t have time for celebratory dinner whatsoever.”

He bowed slightly to a confused Sho, “thank you for today. I’m looking forward to working with you.” Another bow to Nino, “and you too, of course.”

Sho and Nino bowed in response politely while Aiba kept beaming with satisfaction over a meeting well done.

 

While Ohno usually paid no further heed over the tables unless he was needed, usually staying back behind the counter so he could get back to pretending wiping empty glasses, he got a glimpse of how four men finished the meeting, bowing to each other formally and couldn’t stop himself from thinking, _wouldn’t it be nice if…_.

.


End file.
